Emma's Mother
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Mrs. Goodall comes back to town and wants to see her daughter.
1. Let Her Go

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce. This story is fan-made._

_Author's Note: This is not where the Megaforce series starts. If you want to read the series without getting lost, I suggest you read my stories in the order they appear:_

_**No To Date Nights - The Party Night - Project Partners - Megaforce: Lives Behind The Masks - **__**Prom Night**__ - __**A Trip To Remember - First Meetings - Something She Loves – Protective Morans – Samurai In Harwood County – Rainy Days – Luck Had Nothing To Do With It – Ranger Support – Parents and Children – Hero Without The Spandex – Emma's Night**_

_Just a reminder about my vacation; Thursday will be the last day I post anything. If all goes well, I should be able to get all the chapters for this story posted by that time (7 chapters in total). This will leave us with at least an ending before I go so there will be no stopping in the middle of a story for my hiatus. Again, I thank you all for your patience._

Troy had no idea how much of a girl magnet babies could be. Not that he was asking for the attention. He was a Megaforce Ranger, and the leader of the team. He owed his new friends his entire focus and all his time. They were depending on him to have a clear head on and off the battle field.

However, that didn't mean he didn't like the attention. With his parents out for the day with Rebecca for several appointments for the baby, Troy was left to babysit his little sister. Ryan didn't do much to warrant someone watching her constantly, but she did need to be fed, changed, and soothed every hour or so.

He took her out to Ernie's. His parents had let him, realizing it wasn't realistic to ask a teenage boy to stay home alone all day with a baby. As long as Troy promised to be careful with where he brought his little sister, and to be home at a reasonable hour so Ryan could get a few naps in her crib where she was most comfortable, then he could do as he pleased.

A lot of girls he recognized from school were coming over to him to see the baby. Some made it quite clear they were just near to coo over Ryan, others thought they needed to flirt with Troy in order to be allowed close enough to the baby. Eventually, Ryan did grow tired of the attention and cried out.

"Sorry, this is a busy day for her," Troy said and gave the girls around him a signal to leave the baby alone to sleep while he gently pushed the stroller back and forth and covered it up as much as he could. Ryan was soothed almost instantly.

"They're precious at that age," a woman commented from a nearby table as she turned to Troy. "I remember when my daughter was that young. There was nothing I wouldn't do for her."

"Ryan's kind of a pain in the ass," Troy said. "She kept me up all night last night. But she is something special."

"At that age, a baby doesn't need much," the woman said. "A clean diaper, a bottle, and a cuddle before bedtime. You run yourself ragged, and it's a lot of work, but as they get older, they demand a lot more of you."

"It's worth it, though, right?" Troy asked. "There's got to be something incredibly special about watching your daughter grow in front of your very eyes."

"I wouldn't know," the woman answered. "As it turns out, I never gave myself the chance. I learned how to be a mother far too late."

"What happened?"

"My dreams got in the way," the woman shrugged her shoulders. "I thought seeing the world would be the greatest thing I could do. I thought there would be nothing more magical than exploring different countries. I thought I could get all I needed with expensive trips and shopping malls. Turns out, you can't buy the things your family gives you. You can't buy a daughter's love."

"Did your daughter leave you?"

"She found a better home," the woman said. "Fortunately, she has a family that will look after her. They've been doing so her whole life. Now, the best thing I can do for her is let her go."

"Is that what you're doing?"

"It's what I've done," the woman answered. "Although, that doesn't mean I can't stop by every once in a while. I've got a lot of explaining to do, and I might as well get everything off my chest. I hope she'll give me a chance."

The bell over the door rang as it opened. Troy looked over as did the woman. Both smiled as Emma and Gia stepped in.

"There's Troy," Gia pointed to the booth Troy sat in and tugged on Emma's arm to lead her over. Emma wouldn't move. Gia turned to see what she was looking at and her jaw dropped.

"Mrs. Goodall?"

Emma held her hand out across Gia's chest to hold her back, "Don't punch this parent."

"I'll wait for the gun to come out," Gia muttered. She tugged on Emma's arm again, "You don't have to do this. Not on her terms. I can chase her away."

Emma shook her head, "Go sit with Troy. If mom wants to talk, I'll listen."

"Are you sure?"

Emma nodded and joined her mother at the table while Gia walked over to Troy and Ryan. She took a seat but couldn't take her eyes off Emma.

"Wait, that's Emma's mother?" Troy asked.

"Let's hope she's not as crazy as her husband," Gia frowned.

Over at the table, Emma took a seat across from her mother and found it hard to look at her. She had found a new family with the Morans, and had slowly gotten used to living without her biological parents, but the hurt couldn't be erased. What her parents had done, what her mother had done, had left a scar on her heart.

"You're back?" she asked. Mrs. Goodall nodded her head.

"I'm in town. I thought I'd stop by. I figured you would have a lot of questions. A lot to talk about."

"I do," Emma said. "But that doesn't mean I want to talk to you."

Mrs. Goodall reached her hand across the table and tried to touch Emma's. The pink Ranger pulled away. She crossed her arms over her chest and sunk into her chair. Mrs. Goodall looked at her daughter.

"You're happy with the Morans?"

"You're not going to try and take me away, are you?"

"No," Mrs. Goodall shook her head, "Vanessa and I talked before I took off. I realized I was no good for you, Emma."

"It's not like you had run out of chances," Emma muttered. "Vanessa offered a trip together if you stayed home with me. She told me she gave you a chance to turn it all around. You picked Paris over me."

"Sweetheart, the damage was done. Had I stayed, I would have only hurt you more," Mrs. Goodall sighed. "I would have been leading you on. What I did was tough, and I'm sorry it hurt you so much, but it was for the best."

"What do you know? You sent me one lousy postcard. You have no idea how I'm doing…"

"I've known Vanessa and Joe for a long time. I've seen them with Gia. I've seen them with you. You couldn't dream up a better family for yourself, Emma. I trust they've been taking care of you."

"There doing the job you never did," Emma whispered, "They're making up for seventeen years of horrible parenting. They're doing a damn good job of it, too."

"I'm glad," Mrs. Goodall smiled. "You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you've found a good home."

"You mean now that you don't have to leave money behind for groceries for me while you go on vacation."

"Emma, I love you," Mrs. Goodall said and looked right at her daughter, though Emma was looking anywhere but right at her. "I know you probably don't believe me. I don't see how you could, but it's true. I didn't know how special and amazing you were to me until I lost you. And by then… Emma, by then, it was far too late to take you back. By the time I realized how much I screwed up as a mother, you needed so much more than someone who would try to make up for lost time. You needed Mrs. Moran, and Mr. Moran. I couldn't be who you needed me to be. I'm so sorry, Emma, but I do love you. I love you more than anything."

"Not more than a trip to Paris, or Hawaii, or the Caribbean…"

"Those were mistakes, Emma."

"It's okay, mom. I just… I don't need you," Emma got up. "You made up your mind. Maybe I needed someone better than you, but at the end of the day, instead of sticking around, you took off. You took off and you left me behind to fend for myself. You didn't even bother telling dad I was staying here."

"Your father and I…"

"Yeah, things are screwy," Emma nodded. "I'm not an idiot, mom. I figured it out. He's got girls on the side and you travel the world with your boyfriend."

"I'm sorry, Emma."

"You didn't make any time for me, especially when it counted," Emma said. "I don't have time for you."

Emma walked over to the booth where Troy and Gia were sitting. She whispered something to Gia before leaving the Brainfreeze. Troy started to pack up Ryan's things while Gia walked over to Mrs. Goodall's table.

"Gia, I…"

"Just… leave her alone," Gia said. "Leave her alone, but stay in town for a while."

"Can you tell her I'm sorry?"

"It won't do anything," Gia shook her head. "But if you really mean everything you've just said, you'll stay in town. That way, if she ever reaches out to you…"

"I'll be in Oklahoma in a week…"

"Right," Gia said. "Stupid me for thinking you'd want to stick around."

With that, Gia turned her back and walked out with Troy and Ryan.


	2. Grownup Decisions

Mrs. Moran thought she had the day to herself at the motel, and was going over the papers the city had sent her to reclaim her home. It had been some time now since the great flood, and the city had worked around the clock to rebuild the neighbourhoods that had been destroyed. The Moran house was almost done, which meant they could start looking forward to moving back into a real house.

While she loved being close to her family, the confined space of the motel room had tested their relationships. She and Mr. Moran had gotten into some heated fights, the girls had fought with each other, and Mrs. Moran found herself irritated by the girls and their coming and going from the room. She couldn't wait for some peace and some real space.

As she started to sign on the dotted line at the end of the documents, the door swung open. It was too early for Mr. Moran to be back from work so it had to be one of the girls. Mrs. Moran turned around to see which one, but only saw a blur jump on the bed. The pink shorts and brown hair that settled as sobs erupted told her it was Emma.

"Sweetheart? Emma, what happened?" she sat down next to Emma and placed her hand on her back. She hated seeing the girls so upset and was worried something had happened. Emma and Gia had gone out for the day to meet up with their friends. Jordan had an art class, but it was likely Emma had gone to see him before he left. They were spending more and more time together.

Emma didn't answer. Instead she sat up and wrapped her arms around Mrs. Moran. Mrs. Moran hugged her tightly and looked to the door as Gia and Troy walked in.

"What's going on?"

Troy tried to find a place to put his sister and the stroller while Gia looked at her mother and shrugged.

"Mrs. Goodall is back in town."

"Claire?" Mrs. Moran looked down at Emma, "What did she say?"

"She didn't say," Gia pointed to Emma, "She just wanted to leave. They did… talk, though."

"About what?"

Gia shrugged again, "Whatever it was, it upset Emma."

"You kids are welcome to stay here," Mrs. Moran gave Emma a little loving squeeze before she got up. "I'll go have a talk with her."

"She was at Ernie's," Gia said. "I'm not sure if she's still there."

"I'll find her," Mrs. Moran promised.

-Megaforce-

Across town, Rebecca sat outside a building, rubbing her stomach gently. She had gone for doctor's appointments and so far everything looked good. After that, the Burrows had taken her somewhere else. Somewhere she had requested.

She wanted to put her baby up for adoption. Living with the Burrows, and seeing all the work that went into caring for Ryan, she knew she wasn't ready for motherhood. Babies were a lot of hard work, and she still had two years of high school to complete. She couldn't do it, and she didn't want to try. The life of her baby was what she would be risking, and she didn't want to do anything to screw it up. At least, if she gave him up for adoption, he would have a better chance. She knew it was a lame excuse, but it was true. She had nothing to offer her child.

Her father never wanted her to adopt the baby. He wanted her to keep it. He thought she had to. It was another point of tension between her and her father, another reason she had hated him. By forcing her to keep her baby, he was ripping away what was left of her childhood – the little childhood she did have left after her mother died. Having to cook and clean and take on her mother's chores were more than enough. She couldn't become an actual mother. It had scared her.

"Are you okay?" Mrs. Burrows asked as she took a seat beside her on the bench. Rebecca sighed and nodded her head.

"Is it done?"

"If a family shows an interest, you'll interview them. If you like them…"

"I'll interview them? For what?"

"To see if they're the ones you want to give your baby to," Mrs. Burrows said. "The decision is yours. The baby is yours. You'll want to make sure he winds up in a loving home."

"Yeah, but what do I know about parenting?"

"Mr. Burrows and I can sit through the interviews with you. We'll help you come up with questions, and sort through which parents would be the best fit for your baby. We'll talk about family history, education, careers, goals, and the future. It's going to work out."

"What if no one wants my baby?"

"Someone will want your baby."

"Do I have to tell my dad?" Rebecca asked. "He just agreed to take those anger management courses. What if he can't handle this?"

"I'm sure he'll figure it out one day," Mrs. Burrows said. "But you'll tell him when you're ready. This is your decision."

"I screwed up big time with this rebelling thing, haven't I? Holding drugs, smuggling alcohol, getting pregnant…"

"You've made a few mistakes," Mrs. Burrows nodded her head, "What's important now is that you're trying to fix them. You haven't got anything on you now, do you?"

Rebecca shook her head, "I've put that far behind me."

"Good. And I think you've learned your lesson about sleeping around."

"Yeah," Rebecca nodded her head. "And I don't think this is ever going to happen again."

"Well, hopefully one day when you're ready," Mrs. Burrows said and wrapped her arm around Rebecca. The younger girl sighed.

"I guess."

"C'mon, Mr. Burrows went to get the car. We'll stop for ice-cream on the way home. That should cheer you up."


	3. A Mother's Mistake

Mrs. Goodall didn't know where to go after her daughter had left the shop. She had a hotel room, but couldn't bring herself to head home without any kind of results. She was too upset by how the conversation with Emma had gone to really want to go anywhere.

She knew she couldn't expect a welcome home hug, I love yous, and a warm, friendly talk about what each of them had been up to. Leaving Emma had been the toughest decision she had ever made, and she knew the consequences of that decision would hurt Emma badly. It would never be as terrible as trying to make up for lost time, without a clue as to how to be a good mother, but it was still bad. She felt horrible for everything that had happened. She felt horrible for bringing a child into the world and abandoning her.

Just then, someone sat down across from her. She looked up, hopeful to see Emma, but saw it was just her former best friend. Mrs. Moran took a seat at the table and looked at her with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry, Claire. I know this is hard."

"It's my fault," Mrs. Goodall sighed. "I screwed up. I should have seen this coming. She hates me, doesn't she?"

"Yes," Mrs. Moran thought it best to be honest. It was how she had helped Emma move on from her parents leaving. It would be how Mrs. Goodall figured out what was most important in her life.

"When did it all go so wrong," Mrs. Goodall leaned against the table and shook her head. "I wanted a child. I thought I'd be a good mother. It's not like I didn't… try."

"It's not like you put a lot of effort into it," Mrs. Moran shook her head. "Claire, children are wearing. Even when I only had one, I found myself exhausted by the end of the day. For days on end, I'd be chasing this little monster around, cleaning up after her, making meals for her, driving her around. I never had time to myself. I never got to do the things I wanted to do. That's where you went wrong."

"I didn't give her time."

"Emma wasn't your first priority," Mrs. Moran said. "Gia's always been at the top of my list, and always will be. Her needs always come first."

"It's not like I ever… I mean, I… I gave Emma what she needed."

"You left her alone for weeks while you and Jeff were on vacations or business trips."

"She was old enough to take care of herself. And when she wasn't, we always left her with you."

"She's not old enough to take care of herself. Not for that length of time. You'd be gone for weeks, Claire!"

"Teenagers love it when their parents aren't home."

"I don't care what teenagers love. What teenagers love and need are two very different things. She needs someone looking after her, Claire."

"I know I screwed up," Mrs. Goodall sighed, "But I… Vanessa, I want to talk to her. I want her to understand that when I left her with you…"

"She's not hurting because you left her with me. She's hurting because you were never around. She's hurting from all the years before she came into my home. She's a smart, girl, Claire. She's really come around. She understands why you gave her up to us. She's even thankful for that. It's… the other choices you made that hurts her. Your absence hurts her. Do you even have any idea what she's been up to in the time you've been gone."

"I haven't heard from her."

"You haven't done much to reach out to her either. One postcard? After the way you left her, you only had it in you to send your daughter one postcard? I smother Gia with affection when I'm going to be gone for a night!"

"Okay… that is my fault," Mrs. Goodall admitted. "But… what has been going on. Has Jeff…"

"You don't know that, either?"

"Jeff and I don't keep in touch. You must have seen it, Vanessa, we weren't in the greatest relationship."

"Jeff's stopped by," Mrs. Moran said. "He stopped by, completely angered that Joe had contacted the lawyers to try and force him into giving up his rights as Emma's father."

"It's not an easy decision."

"He got so angry, he threatened Gia," Mrs. Moran continued. "In his mind, if Joe was going to take his daughter, he would take hers."

"Is Gia okay?"

"Thanks to Emma. And thanks to some quick thinking. Both the girls are okay, but Jeff… you won't be seeing him for a long time."

"He took things too far, didn't he?"

Mrs. Moran stood up, "I'm sorry, Claire, but Emma's better off without you. Stick around, in case she tries to reach out to you, but maybe it's time you let her go."

"I just want her to know that…"

"She doesn't need to know anything," Mrs. Moran said. "Nothing you say will help Emma in anyway. You're trying to get rid of your own guilt. Emma's safe with me. Emma's happy as a part of our family. Please, can you leave it that way?"

"I miss her, Vanessa."

"For the first time in seventeen years," Mrs. Moran grabbed her bag and headed out. "Claire, please, leave it alone. Emma's only going to get hurt if you try."


	4. Rebecca's Decision

After making sure the girls got home safely, Troy went back to his house with Ryan. He didn't want to leave Emma after seeing what had happened at Ernie's. He knew what it felt like to have a parent suddenly reappear after disappearing. It raised a lot of questions. When his biological father returned, Troy found himself unpredictably confused and filled with so many questions; he thought his brain would explode. The question that hurt the most was the one he still never got a real answer for – why?

Some people weren't meant to be parents, Troy had learned. Some people just couldn't juggle their lives with their child's life. Some couldn't handle the responsibility, the decisions, the running around, and the lack of personal space and time. Even when they tried their best, it still wasn't enough.

Unfortunately, people who couldn't handle being parents still had the misfortune of becoming parents. A lack of forethought or preparation was to blame, and the biggest victims ended up being the children. Troy knew he had been lucky enough to find a new, loving father shortly after the disappearance of his biological father. Emma had been lucky enough to fall into the Moran family.

But luck didn't erase the pain. Why didn't their parents love them enough?

"You're going to be okay," he whispered to his sister as he lifted her out of the stroller and walked up the stairs to the nursery. He set her down in her crib for a nap. She was already asleep, which made the job a lot easier. "You've got great parents. And I'll always be here."

After making that promise, he turned off the light in the room and walked out quietly. He left the door open so he would hear when she woke up. As he came down the stairs, he saw his parents and Rebecca were coming through the door.

"You were gone a long time. And you got ice-cream?"

"Troy, can I talk to you?" Rebecca asked. Troy nodded his head, but wore a look of concern on his face. Rebecca climbed the stairs and the siblings stepped into Rebecca's bedroom. She sat down on the bed and placed her hands on her stomach.

"Everything's fine with the baby," she reassured Troy. He was a concerned, uncle, she knew that. He would check up on her before bed, and every day he made sure she took all her vitamins. If she was sitting on the couch in front of the TV, he would do what he could to make her comfortable. She never had to ask him, he always knew. "The doctors ran a few tests and they're really happy with how he's coming along. If we keep this up, I'll give birth to a healthy boy."

"That's good," Troy smiled. "So what are we talking about, then?"

"After the doctor's… I asked your parents to take me to the adoption center. I've made up my mind. This baby isn't mine to keep."

"You're… you're giving him up?"

"I'm sixteen, Troy. I'll be sixteen when this basketball squeezes his way out of me. I'm just a kid. I have no business raising one! That one night I had to change Ryan's diaper, I was too tired to know which way was up."

"Diapers get a little confusing for me too, sometimes."

"I meant on the baby. I can't do this, Troy, and I… I don't want it to hurt my son," Rebecca shook her head. "I don't know if you had any attachment to the baby yet or not, but you've been the most amazing brother and we barely know each other so… I thought it was right to tell you. You deserve to know."

"I have no idea what I'm doing with Ryan, sometimes…"

"But you're just her brother. And your parents are amazing! They've got this parenting thing already figured out."

"They'll help you…"

"I don't… I don't want to lean on people when it comes to raising my baby. I'm not going to let some… strangers take care of him too. It's bad enough _I'm_ living in your house," Rebecca looked down at her stomach. She rubbed it gently, "I wasn't ready for this kind of commitment. I should have thought of that when I started sleeping around. This is my mistake, and the grown up thing to do is fix it. I'll find loving parents for the baby. I'll find people who'll take such awesome care of him, it won't matter that his mother gave him up."

"He'll wonder why. He's always going to want to know why his mother abandoned him."

Rebecca looked straight into Troy's eyes, "Because it's the right thing. Because it's best for him. He'll realize that, one day. The best decision I can make as his mother, is finding one who'll be able to give him everything I can't. I'm not going to let him down," she reached out and took Troy's hand. "And I'm certainly not going to leave him high and dry like dad did to you. Is that what's freaking you out? You're worried the baby will feel the way you do?"

Troy shrugged his shoulders, but he thought maybe Rebecca had a point. He looked up to her, with a little smile.

"You're good at this. First my jealousy, now this."

"When I'm not focused on myself, I'm pretty good at reading people," Rebecca chuckled. She smiled at Troy, "I know you're sad our dad abandoned you. But, from my point of view, you're the lucky one. Dad tried his best, and I know he's still trying, but he'll never be as awesome as your dad is. Sometimes, the best thing you can do as a parent is leave. That's what I have to do. You understand, right?"

Troy nodded his head. It wasn't always the best decision to leave a child behind, but in the baby's case, Rebecca was right. She was too young to care for a baby, and though he was sure his parents would help out, it wasn't fair to ask that of them. Somewhere, there was a family who wanted a baby to call their own. Somewhere would be parents who would love and care for the baby like he was their own. Somewhere, there were parents who were ready for the responsibility and the commitment of having a child.

"Pick a good home."

"That's the only thing that matters to me, right now. I'm not going to leave him high and dry like dad did to you. And I'm not going to screw him up like dad did to me."

"So you're really going to do this? You're putting him up for adoption?"

"Once he finds a home, I'm going to get my life straightened out again. I'll finish school, work part-time so I can afford college, and… just… you know, grow up. Maybe down the road I'll be ready for a kid."

Troy smiled and nodded his head. He reached in and hugged his sister tightly.

"If it means anything, I'm proud of you."

Rebecca hugged her brother and smiled, "Thanks, Troy."


	5. Boyfriend And Best Friend

"So, this is where Emma Goodall's been spending her days?"

Jake stepped out from the bushes and approached the lake. Emma was sitting by the shore, tossing small stones into the water to create a splash. She was deep in thought and jumped when she saw Jake sitting down in the corner of her eye. She let out a sigh and shook her head.

"What do you want?"

"Gia's worried about you. You don't come home until late. Jordan tells her he hasn't spent a lot of time with you. I thought I'd come talk to you."

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend," Jake said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Gia told me about your run in with your mother. She told me you haven't been the same since. You can't let her get to you. It's her loss."

Emma shook her head, "She can always have another daughter. I can't get another mother."

"You have a mother, Emma."

"Vanessa's awesome, and I know I'm practically a Moran. What Gia and her family have done for me is amazing, but… I was two parents away from having that for myself. I got stuck with shitty parents and Gia hit the jackpot. Sometimes I get jealous. Sometimes I wish my real parents were around."

Jake nodded his head, "Yeah, I guess I know how you feel."

Emma frowned and turned to Jake, "What do you mean?"

"Mom and I aren't on speaking terms. In fact, I don't want her to be a part of my life anymore. Even if she apologizes to Gia, I think I've figured out where her priorities are."

"Jake, you left your mother," Emma said as she recalled the story Gia had told her. "You made the decision. My parents hopped on a plane without me and they were gone."

Emma tossed another stone into the lake and shook her head, "It's not the same."

"I gave my mother a choice," Jake said. "She chose to hate Gia over loving me. All I asked of her was to respect my decision to date Gia, and she couldn't even do that. The second she took to think was longer than it should have been."

Jake looked down at the dirt and traced a line with his finger, "I put on a brave face for Gia. She's been through too much to have to deal with my family problems. Especially with yours already on the table."

"Gee, thanks."

"I don't mean like that. You know what Gia's like. Right now she needs to see that the world can be a good place. I don't want her to feel like there's always going to be something bad happening to her, or to the people close to her. That's why I don't show her how much it hurts that mom… isn't being motherly."

Jake looked to Emma and sighed, "But it does hurt. It hurts a lot. Until Gia, mom was always amazing. I miss that. I miss what we had."

"At least you had something."

"Sometimes, that's even worse," Jake said.

"Do you blame her? Gia, I mean. You and your mom are… separated because of her."

"We're separated because of the choice my mother made," Jake shook his head, "But yeah, sometimes I feel… angry with Gia. Usually when I wish things were different. That doesn't mean I blame her, though."

"I already told you I'm jealous of her," Emma hugged her knees to her chest. "Sometimes, it gets so bad; I wish we could trade lives. She had to live through Cliff, but her parents always loved her. Rarely, I wish all the bad stuff would just happen to her. I don't get why this has to happen. I don't get why my parents couldn't just do what they're programmed to do."

"Maybe they aren't programmed," Jake said. He wrapped one arm around Emma's shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze. "You know, it's going to be okay. I still have dad, and he's amazing. He's always been there for me, and even when he doubts I'm doing the right thing, he lets me make my own mistakes. A part of him has to believe I'm just setting myself up to get hurt by falling so hard for Gia, but he's not getting in the way. He knows there's a chance he's wrong."

"I guess I did kind of hit the jackpot with the Morans," Emma shrugged her shoulders. "I'll never compare to Gia in their eyes, but at least I've got parents to lean on. It could have been worse."

"Yeah, you could be in New York with your hidden psychopath dad," Jake chuckled. Emma frowned and nudged him in the ribs. He rolled his eyes, "Sorry, will this make up for it?"

He reached into his bag and pulled out two tickets. He gave them to Emma, "I was going to take Gia for a date, but it seems like you can use some cheering up."

"Jake, you don't have to…"

"C'mon, I want to. You two have been through enough. Besides, it's not really my scene. You'll enjoy it a lot more. I'll have pizza and video game night with the guys. Dad's finally found a place and we're moving in soon."

Emma looked at the tickets and a smile crept up on her face, "Kira Ford concert?"

"I thought it's be cool to see another former Ranger. You know, just so we're a bit more familiar with our past. I know Coach McKnight pretty well, and we've all met Dr. Oliver. Kira Ford is in town, so why not?"

"You realize she's been my favourite artist since… her first single, right?" Emma smiled brightly as she looked at the tickets, and then she suddenly handed them back to Jake, "No. Jake, this is amazing but they must have cost you a fortune."

"I bought them so Gia could see the concert," Jake said. "As long as she goes, it's not money wasted. Have fun."

He put the tickets in her lap and stood up. He smiled at Emma, "Our moms suck. Doesn't mean our lives have to. We'll learn to move on. We'll be better without them."

"They were holding us back," Emma nodded her head and accepted Jake's hand as he helped her up. Emma put the tickets in her bag and followed him back to the city


	6. Concert and Missing Cable

"It feels a little weird," Noah said as he had a look around Jake's new house. With enough money finally available and the best home they could afford finally ready for the taking, Jake and his father were now moved into a loving their new place. It was small compared to where they had been living before, but for a family of two it was a good size. Mr. Holling had also thought about the future. Jake had one year of high school left before he went off for college, or off to play for a better team that would take him touring around the state, or if he was lucky enough, about the country, which meant in a short time, the house would be all for Mr. Holling. He didn't need too much space and preferred to keep some money in his pocket for the future.

"You get used to it," Jake nodded his head and also had a look around, "Last night did feel kind of… strange, but its home for now."

"You boys better behave tonight," Mr. Holling said as he picked up his wallet. Jake had invited his friends over for a boys' night and he had asked that his father make himself scarce. Mr. Holling was only too happy to do so. Though he would enjoy a night with the guys, he had his own set of friends and his own idea of party – one he didn't want his teenage son to enjoy until he was of legal age.

But knowing Jake sometimes liked to push the boundaries, Mr. Holling turned to Noah, "I'm counting on you."

"I've never let you down before," Noah smiled back as he nodded his head. Then he turned to Jake who was rolling his eyes.

"Dad loves you best."

"I'm responsible," Noah smirked. Jake rolled his eyes again and then told Troy where he could set up the game station.

Jordan walked over to Jake while Noah went to help Troy. Jordan gave Jake a little nudge.

"Emma couldn't stop talking about that concert tonight. You really made her happy."

"I'm glad," Jake said and then he looked to Jordan. He was a little concerned, "I, uh, didn't cross a line or anything, did I?"

"Not at all," Jordan shook his head. "Emma's been pretty depressing. I appreciate anything that would cheer her up. I'll pay you back for the tickets…"

"Dude, don't bother," Jake said as he refused the money Jordan was offering him. "Emma's my friend. I'm happy to do it."

"Yeah, but Kira Ford concert tickets? Jake, those aren't cheap."

"It's fine, really. I told Emma, as long as Gia goes, that's what I bought the tickets for, so all's good."

"Are you…"

"Positive."

"At least let me pay for pizza when it arrives. As thank you."

"Well, I can't pass that up," Jake chuckled. He walked over to the couch, "Tory, Noah, how's the game coming along?"

Noah, who was digging through a box, let out a frustrated groan, "You're missing one very important wire, Jake. I told you when you were packing all this up, keep track of where you put your things."

"Dude, it's in here somewhere," Jake pointed around the room to the other boxes, "I know I packed it."

"Uh… are we going to have to unpack all of these?" Troy asked worriedly. Jake shook his head and opened up a new box.

"Dude, it's right in here. I'm sure of… it…" he trailed off slowly as he tried to dig through the box, but the more he pulled out, the more he started to realize he was wrong.

"So?"

"Don't pressure me," he frowned at Noah, who without really looking at him knew he had a smirk on his face. "It's in the box underneath."

He moved the top box and opened the second. He pulled out plates and little pillows for the couch, but there were no cables.

"What about this one?" Jordan asked as he lifted up a box and carried it over to the coffee table, "It says video games."

Noah just shook his head knowingly as he watched Jordan unpack the box, only to be disappointed when he saw nothing but bathroom products. Jordan held up a package of three shampoos and frowned at Jake, "How did that get called video games?"

"Uh… not sure," Jake cleared his throat nervously.

"I'll check the box marked bathroom," Troy said as stepped across the hall to where the box for the bathroom was. When he opened it, he saw all of Jake's soccer trophies, "Uh… that's not right either…"

"Okay, okay," Jake sighed and shook his head, "I kind of… packed all the boxes first and then labeled them from… well…"

"Memory?" Noah crossed his arms over his chest, "Jake, this is why you need to think ahead!"

"Hey, dad said we could remember. This is his fault!"

"Your dad needs a girlfriend," Troy muttered and rolled his eyes, "When my family moves, mom always makes sure the boxes are labeled properly. If not, it's a pain in the ass figuring out where everything is."

"We'll find it."

"When?" Noah asked. He looked around the room, but he knew there were more boxes around the house, "Jake, we're looking for one wire amongst all these boxes!"

"We don't have a lot of stuff," Jake bit his lip. He saw his three friends staring back at him and sighed in defeat, "Alright, alright… You guys start looking in these boxes. I'll bring over the other ones. We're going to find it."

"Before the night is over?" Jordan asked.

"Before the last box is opened. I promise," Jake said and hurried into the kitchen to start collecting boxes and where he muttered under his breath, "I hope…"

-Megaforce-

The concert had been amazing. Emma's parents had never taking her to a concert. The only ones she had attended were the ones for free in the park or the fundraiser concerts, also in the park. Usually, those bands were low-key, and had little experience playing in front of a crowd, especially one that didn't really know or care who they were. Seeing Kira Ford, a real live artist live at her concert was practically a dream come true.

And Jake had gotten amazing seats with his tickets. They hadn't been in the mob at the front, but had a great view of the stage, and were close enough to see the show without relying on the big screens.

"There's that smile," Emma heard Gia say and was nudged gently as they walked out onto the street. She looked over to the yellow Ranger and her smile brightened.

"Why wouldn't it be out? That was easily one of the best nights of my life. You have to tell Jake how grateful I am that he…"

"Emma, Gia!" the girls heard their names being called and turned around. At first, they couldn't tell who had called their names, or even if they had heard right. There was a crowd of screaming girls, all huddled together by the doors. In the middle stood two tall, muscular men dressed in black.

"Back off!" one of the men shouted and pushed roughly but not too aggressively the crowd apart. He looked directly at the girls and waved them over. "Come inside."

"Us?" Gia asked and looked around. Emma's jaw slipped to the floor. Was this really happening? She couldn't be sure. She grabbed Gia's hand and pulled her towards the big men calling their names. Naturally, Gia pulled back a little, hesitant to go with the strangers.

"Em, is this a good idea…"

"Gia, those are body guards! Those are Kira Ford's bodyguards! I've seen them trying to stop paparazzi from taking her pictures."

The girls pushed their way through a crowd, ignoring some of the comments from girls who were jealous they were being called back inside. Once they were in the building and the doors were closed, the second body guard waved the girls over and asked they follow him.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Gia asked Emma and looked skeptically at the two big men. "Em…"

"Hey, girls!" Gia was interrupted by another man's voice. This one was a little more familiar. She looked down the hall and saw Jake's Coach was waving her over. "Come inside. Someone wants to meet you."

"Coach McKnight?" Gia frowned before it all suddenly dawned on her. She knew Jake had bought the tickets not because Gia was a huge fan of Kira's music, but because, like them, Kira was a Power Ranger. He thought it would have been nice to see another one of their predecessors. When Gia thought back to how they knew about Kira, she remembered Dr. Oliver's Ranger diary and how Coach McKnight served on the same team as Kira Ford.

"Jake told me about the concert," Conner nodded his head as the girls came over. He waved off the body guards, telling them to return to their posts. Even after the building was cleared of fans, some usually tried to sneak back in, and some even went as far as to hide around until the guards thought it was all clear. The extra protection until Kira could get back on her bus and on the road was practically a necessity. "I figured it would be a nice touch to have us all get together. Uh… where is Jake?"

"Emma took his spot," Gia answered. She looked over to her best friend, who was now too excited and intimidated to communicate in anyway. It was going to be just like the time Gia brought her to meet Dustin Brooks.

"Well, I guess as long as you're here," Conner said. "Kira's pretty excited to meet the newest team."

Conner gave the girls a little look to see if they knew what he meant. He knew Dr. O had spoken to them about past teams, and he knew they knew about him. It was how Jake had managed to get tickets at the very last minute. Connections in the Ranger family meant more than just a helping hand in battle. Conner led the girls down the hall and into a room. When he opened the door, Kira was right in sight, drinking from a water bottle.

Emma grabbed Gia's arm tightly, and it felt like she was squeezing Gia's arm as tightly as her excitement was high.

"Ow!" Gia pried her hand off her arm and slapped her friend gently on the shoulder, "Aren't you being a little fan girlish?"

Emma looked to Gia silently and shook her head, but she couldn't say anything. She was too shy to make a sound. Gia rolled her eyes.

"Excuse her. She turns dumb in front of people she admires."

"It's alright," Kira answered in a voice that sounded a little rougher than Gia expected or had heard in interviews Emma had forced her to watch. She assumed it was from having to sing, shout, and talk for nearly the last two hours. "Normally when I meet a fan, things usually get pretty crazy. Have a seat. I'm just going to get changed into something a little more comfortable."

The girls nodded and let Kira step into the bathroom. Conner stepped out saying he was going to get something to eat for the four of them as they talked. This left Emma and Gia alone in Kira Ford's dressing room.

"This is Kira's couch," Emma whispered to Gia as they sat down.

"I'm sure it's not _her_…"

"Kira's candy wrapper!"

"Em, you're being…"

"Her water bottle!" Emma reached to the coffee table and picked up a bottle. Gia snatched it from her hands.

"Settle down, please."

"I love Jake," Emma said as she looked at Gia, "I know it's wrong, but I love him so much right now."

"Breathe, Emma. Kira's just like you and me. I'm sure she doesn't appreciate people acting like… this."

"It's kind of fun sometimes," Kira said as she stepped out of the bathroom and took a seat in one of the chairs, "So, Conner tells me you've met Dr. O?"

"Dr. O? You mean Dr. Oliver?" Emma asked and then she nodded her head excitedly, but couldn't say anything else."

"So… that means, you know," Kira asked and raised an eyebrow. "You know what we all have in common?"

"The Rangers," Gia nodded. "You were Dino Yellow."

"Megaforce Yellow," Kira gestured to Gia and then turned to Emma, "Pink, I'm assuming."

"She knows my colour," Emma whispered to Gia.

"It's not rocket science," Gia chuckled and nudged her friend again before apologizing to Kira, "Sorry, she's just been a huge fan for a really long time."

"I have all your CDs," Emma nodded before realizing how pathetic that must have sounded. She covered her mouth with her hands and shied away into the back of the couch.

"I have all your action figures," Kira smirked. She got up and walked over to one of her bags, "Conner called me a while back, when he first found out about the team here. Then, when we figured out you were just a bunch of teens in high school, my interest spiked. I've been following your stories. I've got to say, I'm a huge fan."

"You are?" Emma asked. Kira nodded her head and pulled out a yellow and pink Megaforce Ranger action figure – still in their boxes. She handed the girls their colour with a bright smile.

"Dr. O keeps track of all the teams, as you've seen," Kira said. "It's the first time since I've been a Ranger where the current team needs to balance homework and Rangering. I'm sure you know it's not easy."

Emma stared at the action figure of herself that Kira had given her. Then it was taken from her hand. She looked up and saw Kira had it. With a pen, she signed it.

"Oh boy," Gia rolled her eyes as Emma's jaw hit the floor again. She now had an action figure of herself signed by her Rockstar idol. The only thing that would have made it better was if she had a signed CD or poster.

It was as if Kira read her thoughts. After signing Gia's packaged action figure, she walked back to her suitcase and pulled out two CDs. She gave the girls one each.

"These aren't going to be released until next later this year…"

"This is your new CD!" Emma cried as she saw the cover, "You're… you're giving me…"

"Well, those are demo tracks. They aren't quite finished yet, but I still like to hand them out to ultimate fan."

"Pizza's here!" Conner called as he came back into the room with three boxes of pizza. "Who is hungry?"

-Megaforce-

It was getting late, and the boys still hadn't been able to play any video games. Instead, they had spent their whole night looking through boxes. Sometimes they got distracted by what they found. Jordan spent about fifteen minutes teasing Jake on a painting he made in kindergarten (at least, Jake swore it was from kindergarten, though the date on the back suggested he had been in middle school at the time).

Finally, there were only two boxes left. Jake gulped nervously and remembered his promise to the boys. They would find the cable they were looking for before they opened the last box. If he was wrong… he wasn't sure what his friends would do to him.

"Uh… that… one," he pointed between the boxes nervously. Noah frowned and shook his head.

"Jake."

"Okay, okay…. That… No! That… no… yeah… no…"

"For the love of… here, I'll open one, Jordan you open the other," Troy said. At once, the boys cut through the tape on the box and pulled out what was inside. When they reached the very bottom, and emptied everything out they found the cable wasn't there.

"Jake…"

"What? No!" Jake picked up the two empty boxes and dumped them over like that would make the cable magically appear. "Dude! I packed it! I remember, I disconnected the console, took the wire and the box was already packed so I… uh… it's lost?"

"Jake, where's the cable?" Noah asked.

"I don't know."

"Jake…"

Jake groaned. He got up and walked to the door where he had left his bag. He dumped the contents on the floor and leaned over to pick up the cable they had been searching for all night.

"I put it in my bag so I wouldn't… uh… lose it…. Funny, huh?"

"No," the three boys chorused and Jake saw they were closing in on him. He backed up into the wall and held out his hands.

"Okay, okay… I know this probably seems like a wasted night, but… but, think of it this way. I don't have any more unpacking to do, so I won't be asking for help for… guys?"

Nothing he said could rescue them, but he was saved when the door started to open. Jake had never been so happy for someone to walk into his house than at this very moment.

"Whoa, what happened in here?" he heard Gia ask and felt doubly blessed it was her and not his father. Gia would protect him from the guys. As fast as he could, he pushed through his friends and ran over to Gia. He hugged her tightly.

"I'm so glad you're home! How was the concert? Was it awesome? Tell me all about it."

He kept his arms wrapped around her as he walked into the kitchen so they could talk about their night. Emma cleared a path for herself and walked into the living room with a frown. She looked to the boys.

"What happened in here?"

"Ask Jake," Jordan frowned. "What are you two doing here?"

"I just wanted to thank Jake for the tickets," Emma said. The concert was amazing, but the best part of it was that we got to meet Kira Ford!"

Emma pulled out the CD and action figures from her bag, "Look, she gave us these!"

"That's pretty awesome," Jordan smiled as he wrapped his arm around Emma. "I'm glad to see you're so happy."

Emma nodded her head before having a look around the room again and frowning deeply, "Okay, seriously, what happened? I thought I'd walk into pizza boxes, chicken wings, and video games, not… this. Did the house throw up?"

"Don't ask," Noah grumbled with a shake of his head.


	7. A Daughter's Choice

"Are you sure this is something you want to do?" Gia asked as she and Emma stepped off the elevator and made their way down the hall. Gia doubled checked the apartment number her mother had written down to be sure they had the right one. "You don't owe her anything, you know that, right?"

"I know," Emma nodded her head and gulped when she reached the door, "But… but she is my mother. I feel like a proper goodbye is in order."

"You don't owe her that," Gia put her hand on Emma's shoulder and forced the pink Ranger to look at her, "I don't want you doing this if it's just going to hurt. You've been happy since the concert. I won't let her bring you down."

"Gia, I have an amazing family waiting for me at home," Emma smiled. She took Gia's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Mom can't bring me down anymore. Just let me do this."

"I'm here if you need me."

"I know," Emma smiled and then knocked on the door. There was a long pause as they waited for someone to answer. Gia was nervous they had picked a bad time. Maybe she was out. Finally, the door opened. Mrs. Goodall saw the girls and welcomed them inside. It was an awkward welcome, but it worked. They stepped in and took their seats on the couch. Gia didn't get comfortable. She was sure they wouldn't be here long.

"Emma, you have no idea how happy it makes me that you've come by," Mrs. Goodall said as she went to the kitchen to get the girls something to drink. "I know I've made some mistakes, and I know we can't fix things with just one talk but…"

"Mom, I'm happy now," Emma couldn't look up at her mother. Though a lot of hurt and anger had been caused by her, whenever Emma saw her mother she saw, well, her mother. While it hadn't worked out between them as a family, it was clear that it was all just a matter of Mrs. Goodall realizing too late how she had failed. Emma could understand her parents never meant any harm. They had just been clueless.

"I'm glad, Emma, I really am. I just hope one day you'll be able to share that happiness with…"

"I wouldn't hold my breath," Emma shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sorry mom but… but I've got all I need with the Morans. I want them to be my family."

"I understand, Emma, but…"

"Please don't fight it, mom."

"Mrs. Goodall, Emma isn't doing this to hurt you," Gia spoke up, seeing Emma looked a little upset and stuck as Mrs. Goodall's eyes started to water. "She's just trying to do what's best for herself, and personally, I think that's fair. You haven't been around. She shouldn't be expected to wait and see if you've changed."

"I'm letting you go, mom," Emma whispered. "You can see the world with your boyfriend or whatever. You can do all you've dreamed of doing. When you're ready for me, I'll probably be here. I'm not saying we can't be friends one day; I'm just… not now, mom. Please, I can't do this now."

"Vanessa always was the better mother," Mrs. Goodall sighed, and to Gia it looked like the words pained her as they passed her lips. Mrs. Goodall held back her tears and nodded her head, "I guess it's for the best. As long as this is what you want, Emma. As long as you're happy."

"Very," Emma nodded her head. She then looked nervously down at her hands, and then up again at her mother with the faintest of smiles. She stood up and walked over. She wrapped her arms around her mother, "Thank you."

"I'm just asking one favour," Mrs. Goodall said as she held her daughter close, "You can shut me out of your life, Emma, but I don't want to lose you. I want to stay in touch with the Morans just… just to ask about you from time to time. If… if that's okay…"

"I guess it's fair," Emma said. She pulled away from her mother and started to walk to the door. She couldn't stay for much longer or she would really start to cry. She left as quickly as she could.

Gia got up from the couch and followed Emma, but trailed behind slightly. Then, just as she was about to leave the apartment, she heard Mrs. Goodall call her back. She turned around and saw the teary eyed woman looking pleadingly to her.

"Please take good care of her, Gia."

"Always have," Gia nodded and walked out.

Mrs. Goodall watched as the door closed and then fell into a chair. She put her head in her hands and started to sob. This did feel like the right thing, but it was also very painful. She had failed as a mother and too late she had realized how important her daughter really was.

Outside, closer to the elevator, Emma stopped and leaned against the wall. Though this had been what she wanted, that didn't make it easy. Gia joined her and wrapped her in a hug.

"It's for the best. You don't need all this right now."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked. Gia nodded.

"Yeah. She'll wait for you. If you think you've made a mistake, she'll still be around."

"And if she's not?"

"Then you haven't made a mistake," Gia shrugged her shoulders. The elevator came and the girls got on. Gia took Emma's hand. "It's going to be okay."

"I just wish it felt like it would," Emma muttered. When they got to the lobby, she smiled a little to see Mr. and Mrs. Moran were waiting for her. Without having to ask, her parents took her in their arms for a hug.

"It's alright," they assured her. "It's for the best."

The hug lasted a little while longer. Gia noticed other people in the lobby were starting to stare and rolled her eyes. Finally, her parents and Emma broke apart. Mr. Moran let himself smile.

"So, I've packed the car, and the moving truck is already on its way to the house. Who else is ready to get out of that cramped hotel and back home?"

"My own bed," Emma chuckled and was nudged slightly by Gia.

"You're the bed hog."

"Neither of you have to sleep with your mother," Mr. Moran groaned and rolled his eyes. Mrs. Moran shot him a look before turning away in a teasing huff and walking out. Mr. Moran whispered to the girls, "She steals the blankets and the pillows."

"How does she steal pillows?" Emma frowned and looked to Gia. The yellow Ranger was equally confused.

"I don't know," Mr. Moran shrugged, "I'm never awake to see her do it, but she does. And when I get them back, there's drool everywhere."

"Joe, are you coming?" Mrs. Moran called when she saw her husband wasn't following, and instead whispering something to the girls.

"Yes dear," Mr. Moran said and hurried after his wife. Gia and Emma looked to each other and started to laugh.

"Not too late to turn around," Gia said. Emma shook her head.

"I'm happy. That's what matters."

"Good, so then you'll be happy keeping your old bedroom and leaving me with mine."

"Duh, obvious… wait. Your room is bigger."

"I know."

"Is there any kind of deal we can make?"

"Nope."

"Are you…"

"Nope."

"Please?"

"Nope," Gia answered and covered her ears with her hands as she started to walk. "No, no, no, no, no!"

* * *

_Author's Note: Final reminder that I will be on hiatus for about a week. During this time I will not have internet access, therefore there will be no new updates and I will not be able to answer any PMs. On my return, I will do my best to catch up on everything I have missed while I was away._

_Thank you for your patience. I hope you all have a great week, and I hope you enjoyed the story. Many more to come when I get back._

_Lily Hanson_


End file.
